Take Her By the Hand

Four new schools to look ahead

In these days the inauguration ceremonies are taking place for the four schools destroyed by the 2015 earthquake and rebuilt by ASIA in the rural area of Rasuwa, Nepal thanks to the participation and support of many donors, both private and institutional.

It is very moving for all of us to see the joy of the Yarsa and Saramthali villagers, who will finally be able to send their children to school in a welcoming and safe environment. For the approximately 450 children attending the schools of Arukharkha, Thangdor, Namuna and Dupcheshwori, these ceremonies mark the return to ‘normal’ life after three and a half years.

Construction workers, carpenters, goldsmiths and artisans living in Rasuwa also attended our trainings in anti-seismic building and actively participated in rebuilding the schools.

These schools are also a reference point for local adults and families. People are trained to generate income from agriculture, and learn more about children’s rights and the risks of child trafficking.

TAKE HER BY THE HAND

Take Her By the Hand is ASIA’s campaign to keep helping Nepalese girls.

31.4% of Nepalese people are illiterate, and in Rasuwa district the rate is 43.4%, among which 25.5% are women and 17.9% are men (Source:Nepalmap).

Very often, the families’ income in Rasuwa is not sufficient either to buy medicines and clothes, or to afford children’s education. Children cannot attend school, as their parents cannot afford to buy books, notebooks or uniforms, or cover the school fees.

In the most disadvantaged families, parents prefer to send their sons to school, as they are the ones that will always live with them, while daughters will move as soon as they get married.

Helping families invest in their daughters’ education is more than simply allowing them to attend school. Indeed, in the areas where illiteracy is higher, there are also more child brides. One out of three females with no education is also victim of domestic violence, while it is one out of ten among those who have attended school (Sourcee: NDHS 2016).

It is extremely important to invest in female education in Nepal, particularly in Rasuwa. High levels of illiteracy bring more violations of human rights, which prevent children from growing up in a safe and happy environment.

Tribute to Chögyal Namkhai Norbu

The Song of the Vajra

Unborn,
Yet continuing without interruption,
Neither coming nor going, omnipresent,
Supreme Dharma,
Immutable space, beyond definition,
Spontaneously, self-liberating.
Perfect state without any obstruction,
Existent from the very beginning,
Self created, without location,
With nothing negative to reject,
And nothing positive to accept,
Infinite expanse, all pervading,
Immense, and limitless, unbound,
With nothing even to dissolve
Or from which to be liberated.
Present beyond Space and Time,
Existent from the beginning,
Immense dimension of inner space,
The radiance of clarity is like the sun and the moon,
Self perfected,
As indestructible as the Vajra,
As stable as a mountain,
As pure as a lotus,
Strong as a lion,
Incomparable bliss
Beyond all limits;
Illumination,
Equanimity,
Peak of the Dharma,
Light of the Universe,
Perfect since the very beginning.

From "The Song of the Vajra", An Oral Commentary by Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche,
Edited by Gina Perini